The present invention generally relates to a method and system for tracing the distribution of physical digital media. More particularly the present invention transmits identifying information obtained from the recipient""s computer to a centralized database for pattern matching analysis, and subsequently provides feedback to a content provider regarding the recipient of the digital media.
To date many content providers have utilized digital media for distribution of content. Traditionally, the content provider is unable to automatically verify whether the digital content were viewed by the recipient. As a result, the content provider must resort to follow-up efforts to obtain feedback. Many user""s find these efforts an annoyance.
The failure to capture data regardin the recipient of the content represents a missed opportunity in that the content provider is unable to gain insight regarding the recipient""s experience. The automatic collection of feedback information would enable the content provider to more efficiently utilize its resources by concentrating their efforts on only those recipients with an interest in their products or services.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to automatically capture feedback information regarding the recipient and the recipient""s interaction with the software on the digital medium.
An additional object of the present invention is to send the collected profile and feedback data to a remote database for analysis and pattern matching.
Disclosed is a method for tracing the distribution of physical digital media and reporting feedback to a content provider regarding whether the profile of the user of the physical digital media corresponds to known profile.
A host computer is provided with a database of user profile records. In parallel, digital content is enveloped within packaging software providing an interface for accessing the digital content. The enveloped digital content and a media identifier are stored on physical digital media, with the media identifier identifying at least one of a type of the digital content and a provider of the digital content.
The physical digital media is distributed to at least one user, who mounts and executes the digital media on a computer.
The packaging software gathers identifying data from the user""s computer, encodes the identifying data into a key, and searches for an active network connection. Upon finding an active network connection, the packaging software transmits the key to the host. Otherwise, the packaging software prompts the user to initiate a network connection, and transmits the key to the host computer.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the host receives the key and decodes the key into identifying data. Pattern matching is performed to analyze matches between the identifying data and the user profile records, and information regarding matches and partial matches is reported to the content provider information.